Window

Window is Jake's theme for today's Sunday post.

My selection of photos consists mainly of windows from older houses:

South of Porto

Silvalde/Espinho

Praia da Granja, South of Porto

Armacao de Pera, Algarve

Armacao de Pera, Algarve

Castro Marim, Algarve

This is a stained glass window from a church:

Armacao de Pera, Algarve

And this is one of the windows of the train station at Praia da Granja:

Praia de Granja train station

Before I send you off to Jake's blog to look at windows from all over the world, let me tell you that Maluda, who was a famous Portuguese artist (1934-1999), loved painting windows. 

Why don't you visit the Maluda site's archive for "janelas"(windows) category" and click on each "janela" title to see her window paintings.

What a difference a week makes!

Here we were thinking we had skipped spring! 

Sunday lunchtime, downtown Albufeira

Last Sunday it was so hot that I was attracted to all the summer dresses on sale along these downtown Albufeira streets. I also had a long list of must-do tasks in the garden, which were so urgent I didn't go to the beach.

On Thursday it was a public holiday here and suddenly I had the urge to have an ice-cream and coffee by the sea. It was so hot I decided to stay inside the beach café where it was cooler than on the café's veranda. Lots of people were sunbathing or playing in the calm blue sea.

Enjoying the view

When it was announced that temperatures would be dropping by ten degrees Celcius, I thought "nah, it'll never happen here in the Algarve"!

Well, I was wrong. Yesterday afternoon, there we were in Lagos, wearing windbreakers and scarves and shivering in a relentless, freezing wind.

Lagos, Algarve (Portimao in the distance)

The cold was just bearable in the square in front of the Santa Maria Church, where there were loads of stalls to visit and entertainers on a small stage.

Festival dos Descobrimentos - lots to see, eat, drink, buy...

Today it is just as cold. When we went to the Lagoa car boot sale (which I highly recommend, on the 4th Sunday of every month), I even put on my woolly hat! 

Gardening tasks have been put on hold. Even my dogs don't want to be outside. It feels like winter again. What a difference a week makes!

Peaceful

Peaceful scenes...

Expanses of sand,

Aquamarine skies,

Calm cerulean seas

Embracing the sunshine.

Friends smiling,

Unhurried, carefree,

Lingering in quiet gardens

This is my Sunday Post. Hop over to Jake's blog, where the inspiration begins.

Salgados Lagoon - conserve it please!

Thursday post

Which do you prefer?

These are views of the Salgados Lagoon, pictures taken from viewpoints close to the Salgados Beach car park. Do you like what you see?

Unfortunately this may not be this beautiful for long because the Silves Town Council have announced they are getting ready to allow/encourage construction between Armação de Pêra and Praia Grande.

Do you like the idea of the land and dunes at the far end of the lagoon being destroyed to look like this?

This is part of the holiday resort on the other side of the car park I mentioned. It isn't completely finished yet and it's already run-down and going bankrupt. Construction workers have lost their jobs. The palm trees they planted to hide the ugly buildings are leaning already and many are dying because it seems there isn't even enough money to pay for the water they require.

Isn't it ridiculous to build another resort on the other side of the lagoon if this one is already surplus to requirements?

Just a few years ago, I used to walk from Salgados to Armação de Pêra with a friend on Sunday mornings. When we got to this roundabout (which wasn't here then) we could see the sea all the way to those white buildings in the background (in Armação de Pêra). Now all we see is the resort! 

Don't get me wrong - I am all for progress, when it makes sense!

For those who live in the Algarve and wish to help fight this construction mania, why not come to the Protest Meeting of the "Friends of Salgados Lagoon" on Oct 20th.

For more details, read this article at the algarvedailynews.com.

All the worse for wear

Paderne - close-up

This chimney will probably not be standing for much longer.

Paderne building in ruins

It's a miracle that it is still there when the rest of the house is in this state!

Paderne, again

Another chimney on a delapidated building.

Near the Alcantarilha/Armação de Pera train station

This one is in a better state than the building it is part of!

Algoz

This ugly, worn out chimney just couldn't take the heat. It's actually on a building that is not nearly as old as the others in this selection.

S.B. Messines, near the church

And last, but not least, this enormous chimney is simply feeling its age.

All wrapped up!

Some people like bird watching, some like plane or train spotting, I like chimney spotting in the Algarve!

Here are a few more from my collection:

All wrapped up! 

The plastic wrap may be useful to keep out the elements and small birds, too.

Alcantarilha

Alcantarilha - built in 1953

Unfortunately this means you can't have a working chimney or see what is behind the mask.

Armação de Pêra beach front

Keeping out the rain and salty sea air? 

Armação de Pêra beach front

Related posts: C is for Chimneys, Algarve style